As she collected the best video award for her song Wrecking Ball, she took what looked like a spliff from her handbag, saying: “I couldn’t fit this award in my purse but I did find this,” before flicking a lighter and smoking it.

Cyrus, 20, opened last night’s event at the Ziggo Dome with a performance in which she wore a silver spandex leotard and “twerked” with a female dwarf.

Sparking up: Miley has been condemned by anti-drugs campaigners for the move (Photo: Reuters/Remko De Waal)
David Raynes, spokesman for the National Drug Prevention Alliance, accused the singer of “reinforcing drug use as a reasonable way of life”.

He said her behaviour was especially worrying as she had a young fan base: “It is irresponsible. The people she is targeting with her performance are much more vulnerable to the effects of marijuana. We know from research that cannabis use has more of an effect on the younger brain than the brain of a more mature person.

“By doing this on stage she is making it a more acceptable lifestyle choice.”

Lucy Dawe, of anti-drug’s group Cannabis Skunk Sense, called for Cyrus to be “dealt with” by the law. She added: “We are getting more and more of these high-profile people flouting the law and nothing seems to be done.

Performing: Miley gave a rendition of her hit song Wrecking Ball at the event (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for MTV)
“She is a bad role model to the young people who look up to her. It is highly irresponsible. We are now at a stage where we are normalising the use of cannabis, which has horrendous implications, especially for teenagers.” In August a scantily-clad Cyrus “twerked” during a performance at an MTV awards ceremony in Las Vegas, drawing criticism from parents’ groups.

Last week Lady Gaga revealed she became hooked on cannabis and had smoked up to “15 joints a day”. The singer sparked uproar after smoking a joint at the same Amsterdam venue last year. She said she smoked the drug to help numb the pain of her hip injury which forced her to cancel the remainder of her Born This Way Ball tour.